ValerieInMexico

Jammies. Walmart or Marshalls always has cute ones this time of year. T shirt and pull on pants type. They are often as cute as any tracksuit, but not as heavy. Hoody for a jacket.

It sounds like you have a really, really great surgeon. You appear to really be taking the time to understand how this surgery will impact your life. You have done amazingly well with your weight loss and have a very good attitude. You have what it takes to succeed.
Keep doing what you are doing.

It sounds like you have a really, really great surgeon. You appear to really be taking the time to understand how this surgery will impact your life. You have done amazingly well with your weight loss and have a very good attitude. You have what it takes to succeed.
Keep doing what you are doing.

It sounds like you have a really, really great surgeon. You appear to really be taking the time to understand how this surgery will impact your life. You have done amazingly well with your weight loss and have a very good attitude. You have what it takes to succeed.
Keep doing what you are doing.

It sounds like you have a really, really great surgeon. You appear to really be taking the time to understand how this surgery will impact your life. You have done amazingly well with your weight loss and have a very good attitude. You have what it takes to succeed.
Keep doing what you are doing.

My Mom passed away, at 69, two years after being diagnosed with a rare degenerative brain disease. She was able to see me lose 100 pounds after RNY. She could really no longer communicate, but she said "beautiful" when she saw me after a time apart, and a noticable weight loss. So, as odd as your Momma is, she is probably happy to see her baby happy. She is lucky to have a patient daughter!

I was part of a research study, while on a medically supervised weight loss program with Optifast. this was in the 1990s, long before I had bariatric surgery. It is not the surgery that causes the problem. It is the rapid weightloss. People who loose large amounts of fat, over a relatively short period of time, can have complications with gallbladders. So, it could be prudent to remove it while having weight loss surgery to avoid having to have another surgery.

I am so like this. One thing I am doing in my house, because I am on the presurgical diet and entertainment by food is not an option, is working on a list of fast tasks. Things I can do in 10 to 30 minutes. Otherwise, besides going to the pre-paid gym sessions, I would stay home with the curtains closed. That is my nature. Glued to the recliner.
My list of tasks include:
. Load or Unload the dishwasher
. Do a load of laundry
. vacuum
. sew that button on the shirt (the one that has been waiting 10 months
. steam the wrinkled clothes that have been waiting for weeks.
. clean the fridge
I set the timer to 30 minutes and tackle a task or two. At the end of the day I feel better and it keeps my mind off food.
I am avoiding going out because I am also a recovering shop-acholic. That is one of my fat time things to do. Avoidance.
To mitigate the risk of shopping for things I do not need:
I have a list of errands to run that I postpone because it requires I wash my hair, put on something other than sweats and leave the house AND not shop or stop at starbucks! I just focus on the list, bring a big bottle of Water and try and drink it before I get home. Also: I am wearing my best clothes because they will be too big next month and I might as well! Also, been putting on makeup cause, why not. Anything to get my mind off food. I smile and say "thank you" to everyone. Ask the clerks "how is your day?" Then, they smile back at me and I feel I have achieved a small thing.
Finally, another thing I did was ease myself into the pre surgical diet by using noom, the app, which set a 1200 calorie goal for me, and 3K for steps. Why not do that? It helps to motivate you, noom helps you work on that lazy bones attitude too.
Good Luck. Getting outside feels good once you actually get yourself out the door!

I bought a bike about two months ago, and my big goal was to have enough confidence to go on long bike rides alone. I was too nervous. I would get on my bike and feel so unsteady. I would not go alone. Just short rides with friends. Yesterday morning, I woke up and just did it. I had been praying for help, and signed up for a cycling confidence course beginning Sept 4th, but I wanted to be steady and sure enough to join the class and not slow them down.
I took my bike to a near by parking lot and practiced, got used to the gears, did figure 8s, and then took off to the nearest bike path. 45 minutes later..... I felt like a 12 year old. I could stop, get up, get down, turn corners, go fast, go up a hill, down a hill.... go over bumps! I came home and just had tears rolling down my face.
Working out in the gym, improving my balance, losing weight..... and the inspiration of people here, really helped.

That was NSV 1. NSV 2 is that I have 10 bottles of fine wine club wines in my house and my car that I did not touch for weeks now. Today is the day I take them to a family reunion, to share (give away) to everyone. I DO NOT MISS Wine!!!! That was the toughest thing to give up!
I feel blessed!

So great to hear you are doing well! You have such a great attitude and really taking care of yourself and setting yourself up for the best outcome. I really hope that this weight loss and improvement in health helps in maintaining the functionality of your kidneys too!

It is thrilling every time I see a post like this. It is such a big milestone. Congrats!

That is a good article. If we think about it, rapid weight loss, particularly with the morbidly obese, requires that the body process and remove materials left from the broken down fat..... and it happens through the liver. OK, I am not a scientist, obviously. I see that the article sites patients with very high BMIs as being vulnerable.
I sure hope that Laura's daughter will be OK. This is an important article to show the people at the hospital.

I can really relate to this. One of my very best friends discourages me from losing weight. She has so, so many very serious health issues that are related to smoking, diabetes , high blood pressure, peripheral arterial disease etc. All of her friends have come to help her when she is hospitalized. She is one reason I am so driven to get my weight down to a normal, healthy BMI. She almost lost her feet last year. Still, she started smoking again, does not follow a diabetic diet, just does not take care of herself. She is beautiful, inside and out. Very caring and kind. I just have to distance myself a bit, because I need to spend more time developing relationships with friends who are on the same, healthy, journey. I will always be her friend, but I can not derail my plan in order to help her with her chronic illness. Not when she refuses to change. I can't watch her self destruct.

I live in an expat retirement community in Mexico, for half of the year. There are 110 houses in our gated community. The town is about an hours drive from Guadalajara.
With the age of the residents in our community (there are over 5 thousand Americans and Canadians), you can imagine that there are a lot of urgent health care issues. The first hospital I went to was a shock to me. It looked like a five star hotel. The café in the lobby was a French bistro. I went for gastro tests, sent there by a bariatric center when I was having some problems with my RNY (done in the US). All was well with me, they just lectured me about the importance of taking my Vitamins and eating as advised for a RNY patient. I also had minor surgery and a stay overnight at another hospital. It was a rehab hospital, specializing in sports medicine. It was spotless and my room and bathroom were like a holiday inn room, but smaller. I have visited friends who have been rushed by ambulance for cardiac and other issues. The hospitals were all private and top notch.
Now, Guadalajara is a big city with a lot of different hospitals. They have a excellent Medical school. Many of the surgeons, like mine, had a rotation or a residency in the US. There are also the public hospitals run by the equivalent of Social Security/Medicare. Not at all the same, but many of the same surgeons and specialists. Often, the Dr.s have a private practice, but also work in the public hospitals. I have friends who had kidney transplants and knee replacements there. They had to bring their own family member to help them. It is no frills. Not for me. However the results were successful.
The BariatricPal hospital in Tijuana has a wonderful reputation. That is where I would have chosen if I did not have my casa near Guadalajara and friends there for support.
So, if you are considering surgery in Mexico, do your research and you can have a very safe and pleasant experience.
If you are retired, consider Lake Chapala for a month in the off season. Its beautiful and you could stay around after your surgery and enjoy the culture and the beauty..... and the shopping! (Not the restaurants).

You look fantastic, healthy and happy!!!!! Congrats!

Really inspiring. Very, very exciting!

Man, I just signed up for free consultation with Katzen, and two others at a Obesity Health conference in Aneheim Oct 4. There are few spaces left for free consults. I am looking forward to the conference. Help me with inspiration!

I had a telephone consult, to get a ball park figure, for a lower body lift. I am going for an actual consult on Jan 7. The surgeon is a well known surgeon in Newport Beach, CA. He does aprox 4 lower body lifts a week. The person I talked to told me that, just to give me an idea, the cost would be in the mid 30 thousands. Basically, I would have to choose between buying a new car and travel for a few years.... and this procedure. I may have to give up my retirement and go back to work for four years. That would be a huge choice just to look good naked. My lumps and bumps are well hidden with clothing. I have gone for a consult in Mexico already, with a very well known surgeon in Guadalajara. I have seen his work on arms and its amazing. I just have not consulted on lower body lift yet. I will do so in January as well. I just want to choose someone who does this body contouring full time. Some surgeons do about one body lift per month.
It is a lot to think about. If I were young, I would do it. I would take the financial hit and really live life to the fullest. At 62,,,, not so sure.

A small fee would be OK, like $50, that is the fee charged by those locally. I would agree that the other two are very confident and know you will want them. Who is #1. That is amazing work!

Really inspiring. Very, very exciting!

Really inspiring. Very, very exciting!

Really inspiring. Very, very exciting!

Man, I just signed up for free consultation with Katzen, and two others at a Obesity Health conference in Aneheim Oct 4. There are few spaces left for free consults. I am looking forward to the conference. Help me with inspiration!

I came across this when doing some research. I registered and signed up to consult with three plastic surgeons. I am interested in a lot of the topics.
It is in Anaheim California. Oct 4,5,6
Would love to meet up with anyone, from this community, who will be attending.

I came across this when doing some research. I registered and signed up to consult with three plastic surgeons. I am interested in a lot of the topics.
It is in Anaheim California. Oct 4,5,6
Would love to meet up with anyone, from this community, who will be attending.